Get One: Tender Belly Holiday Ham

If Thanksgiving turkey strikes you as b-o-ring (not to mention tasteless and dry if it’s not properly roasted), buck tradition with a worthy alternative: a holiday ham from Tender Belly.

We first wrote about this Denver-based company in February, and then again in September. Brothers and owners Shannon and Erik Duffy‘s philosophy is simple: The best pigs make the best pork. That means Berkshire hogs that are raised humanely, fed a vegetarian diet, and are hormone- and antibiotic-free. The result is richly marbled bacon, meaty cuts, and terrific hot dogs. (We’re not the only ones taking notice of Tender Belly: Food & Wine recently gave the dry-cured maple bacon a thumbs up).

Advertisement

Now, with the holidays within reach, Tender Belly has released 500 feast-worthy hams. Find these spiral-cut beauties—which are brined in herbs, slow-smoked over applewood chips, and then glazed—at Tony’s markets for $7.98 per pound. As of Wednesday, the Duffys had already sold about half their stock.

Bonus: Since the hams are already glazed, all you have to do is pop them in the oven at 275° and bake 12 to 15 minutes per pound. No basting, no fretting about white meat versus dark meat, no boring bird in the center of the table.